PUTNAM – It took six years, but Putnam police have arrested a man they say was involved in bilking a Main Street jewelry store out of more than $10,000.

Ronald Vigue, 38, of East Millinocket, Maine, was charged Thursday with conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and was arraigned Friday in Danielson Superior Court.

According to police, Vigue helped Courtney Hannawald, 35, pay for jewelry with a personal check that bounced.

Police said Hannawald and Vigue went into Abigail's Jewel Box on June 30, 2007, and told the owners that they had won $15,000 at Foxwoods Resort Casino the previous night and wanted to buy wedding rings and get married in New Hampshire.

Vigue told the owners that he had money saved for "the engagement ring regardless," police said.

After looking at rings for about an hour, police said, they selected two wedding bands and an engagement ring with a total value of $10,171.

Hannawald paid for the items with a personal check, police said. The address on the check was in Texas. A week later, the jewelry store was told that her check bounced.

Police said Hannawald was at Foxwoods on June 29 and had lost $13.

Police found that Vigue had a criminal record in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for forgery and passing bad checks and that he was wanted in 2007 for writing 10 bad checks totaling $11,656 in 2003 at a Seekonk, Mass., antiques store.

After obtaining arrest warrants in October 2007, Putnam police were unable to arrest Hannawald or Vigue, however, because they were in Texas, a state from which they could not be extradited for their crime.

"I followed them around the country," Deputy Chief Leonel Konicki said. Konicki had worked on the case in 2007 when he was a sergeant. "There was nothing we could extradite for."

Finally, Konicki learned that Vigue was living in Maine, a state from which he could be extradited.

Vigue is being held on $49,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 31.

Hannawald is in Texas, Konicki said, and unless she comes to New England, her extradition isn't possible.